Stand By Me
by Dirty Work
Summary: "I won't shed a tear just as long as you stand, stand by me." Kames/Cargan
1. Chapter 1

It's back! how exciting. I know last time I had this up I said the uploading schedule would be every Wednesday, but I think this time it will be every Saturday. If we're lucky it actually might be two times a week, but definitely on Saturdays. With school ending soon I will have more time to write! However the exception to this weekly update is this week, because I have April break and still have the first few chapters written. So yeah. Enjoy! Review even though you've already read this chapter! I did change a few things so look out.

ALSO! Look out for another new multi-chapter coming soon. This one is showverse. That's all the hints I'm giving!

* * *

James wakes up earlier than normal on their last day in Cologne due to a pounding in his head. He groans, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes as if it would stop the throbbing in his temples, but it does nothing to aid the pain in his head. It takes him a moment to think past his headache and realize that it's not the only thing that's off about him. His body aches, he can barely breathe through his nose, and he's absolutely freezing, and it takes a second to analyze his symptoms before he's taking one of his hands and feeling his forehead. It burns to the touch, but James isn't sure if that's because he's sick or because his hand is freezing cold.

He pushes himself up into a sitting position and wills the throbbing to stop in his head, or at least calm down so he can get up and walk. When he does stand up, he stumbles a bit and has to wait several seconds for his vision to clear as much as it can before he wanders over to the bathroom. He sticks a hand in the shower and turns the water on before turning to look at himself in the mirror.

James literally winces as he takes in his appearance. His eyes are bloodshot and his hair is a mess, and his cheeks are rosier than they normally are. His arms are covered in goose bumps and James sure hopes that he doesn't look so bad after his shower. He and the boys have a signing today and the guys won't let him step a foot out of the hotel if he looks sick. The last thing he wants to do is disappoint the fans, especially the German ones who only get to see them when they fly over here once in a while.

Stripping, James checks to make sure the water temperature is good before stepping into the shower. The warm water eliminates the cold problem and gets rid of his stuffy nose, but the aching in his head and muscles are persistent. The short bout of dizziness he experienced when he first stood up is returning and it's then that James decides that this will be one of the shortest showers of his life.

He washes his hair and the rest of his body in record time before shutting the water off and grabbing a towel, wrapping it around his waist. He nearly slips walking out of the shower due to his wet feet combined with the dizziness, but he manages to live long enough to make it to the main area of his hotel room.

James finds his glasses and slips them on, knowing that his eyes will get irritated if he even bothers with contacts today. He slips on boxer briefs and jeans and pairs them with a nice blue button down and white tie. Normally, he would go and blow dry his hair, but the thought of the time and effort put into that plus how the heat would feel against his head don't sound like a good idea right now. He woke up early enough that it has time to dry on its own before the signing, and it only really curls when it's longer.

Satisfied that he's ready for the day, James crawls back into bed, opting to leave the covers off. A glance at the clock tells him it's only half past six, meaning he has an hour and fifteen minutes left before he has to leave. He yawns and slips his glasses off, setting them on his bedside table before trying to catch back up on sleep.

Unfortunately, the pounding in his head becomes relentless over the next hour, and instead of sleeping like he wants to, James spends the rest of his remaining time tossing, turning, and praying for his headache to let up. He knows that Carlos has Motrin, but that would require him getting up and going to Carlos' room to ask for it, and worse, letting one of his band mates know that he's sick. Neither option looks too appealing to James, so he decides to soldier on through it.

Ten minutes later there's a knock on his door, obviously one or all of the guys telling him it's time to go. He grabs his glasses again and stands up, standing up again and shutting his eyes while he waits for the dizziness to pass. He passes by the mirror once, noting his appearance looks a little better than earlier, and runs a few fingers through his hair before opening the door.

"You look like shit," Carlos says immediately, and James frowns at his friend's bluntness.

"Well thanks, Carlos," he replies, stepping into the hallway and checking that he has his phone before letting the door shut behind him. "I didn't think my glasses looked that bad."

Carlos rolls his eyes, but then concern masks his face. "Seriously though," he says. "Are you feeling okay?"

James smiles. "I'm fine," he lies. "Just a little tired, that's all." He begins to walk away from the group, but a hand on his wrist stops any progress forward.

He turns and looks down at the hand holding his wrist, and he sees pale skin and a few bracelets before his eyes travel up and meet Kendall's. Suddenly, the place where Kendall is touching him is burning, and it has nothing to do with James's sickness.

And alright, he's not going to lie when he says he hasn't thought of Kendall as attractive before, and that he wouldn't mind hugging or kissing or even dating his best friend. But he's not about to go tell Kendall that, not when Kendall has shown no interest in him other than being friends, and James really doesn't want to ruin his friendship with Kendall.

"James, seriously," Logan says, finally entering the conversation. "If you're not feeling well, you don't have to go."

"Logan, I feel fine," James reassures his friend, but looking back at Kendall, the look in his eyes says he doesn't believe a word James is saying. Kendall reaches his hand up to put it on James' forehead, but James backs up before they can make contact. Simultaneously, all three of his friends give him the same skeptical expression and James bites his lip.

"If you're feeling so well, why don't you let me feel your forehead?" Kendall asks, smirking.

James gulps. "I just didn't know why your hand was coming towards my face," he responds. "Go ahead. Feel my forehead. See if I care."

So Kendall does. He pushes James' bangs out of the way and rests his palm flat against the taller's forehead, James's cheeks flushing at the contact. Of course he can always blame it on his rosacea, but he wishes he didn't have a physical reaction to his _best friend_ making contact with him.

"James, you're burning up," Kendall says, his eyebrows furrowing as he pulls his hand away from James' head. "I really think you should just stay here today, bro."

James rolls his eyes. "I'm fine, really," he tries to reassure again, but Kendall, Carlos, and Logan aren't buying it. "I don't want to disappoint the fans! We're in Germany, we hardly ever go here. They're going to be disappointed if just the three of you show up!"

"Gee, thanks," Carlos responds. "But really James, if you're not feeling well you should probably stay here. Your health is more important than meeting the fans, and I'm sure they'll understand you skipping out on the signing because you're sick."

Logan puts a hand on Carlos' shoulder and says, "You know he's right. Plus, you wouldn't want to get any fans sick, would you?"

Normally when Logan and Carlos gang up on him, he has Kendall to turn to for back up. But when he glances at the blonde, he has his arms crossed over his chest and is giving James a stern look that lets James know it's him versus the other three.

He lets out a sigh, mimicking Kendall and crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll make a deal then," he bargains. "I'll go to the signing, and if I feel sick, or you guys think I look worse, I'll leave early, alright?"

They think about it for a moment, and Kendall is chewing on the inside of his cheek as he looks to Carlos and Logan. They use the silent communication method that freaks out the people outside of their foursome to come to their conclusion.

"Fine," Kendall finally says. "But if you look worse on the way there, don't think we're not going to turn right back around and drop your sorry ass off here, got it?"

James smiles, even though his head is still pounding. "Got it."

* * *

An hour and a half later, James is waving goodbye to a long line of disappointed fans as security leads him out of the building. He only stayed for forty five minutes, something he definitely didn't expect. He thought that his pounding headache would go away, but instead it worsened. He became increasingly dizzier as the signing wore on and he even had some trouble hearing a couple of fans because it felt like someone had stuffed balls of cotton in his ears. Finally, after he decided the babbling and screaming girls were too much for his poor head to handle, he whispered to Carlos that he was going to leave. The Latino shot him an _I told you so_ look, but James could also tell he was worried.

When he had stood up, all the fans were confused. Logan and Kendall had even glanced up at him for a moment with confusion, but only for a minute when they realized what he was about to announce. All the fans quieted down to hear his several apologies about leaving early but that he was feeling under the weather and should probably go get some rest.

Now he's getting into the back of the car that would take him back to the hotel, and it felt strange without the other three with him. They usually did everything together, even on their days off, and having the few moments of solitude they had felt weird. He especially felt lonely because he was in unfamiliar territory, and it would really be nice to have at least someone else there with him to get lost with. Not that he would get lost, seeing as a chauffeur was driving him back to the hotel and the only finding he had to do was his room, but still. He would be much more comfortable with the other three by his side.

James would also be more comfortable if everything didn't hurt right now. The pounding in his head has doubled, the body aches have become more intense, and his face is heated in a way that has nothing to do with Kendall. He sniffles in a failed effort to breathe through his nose and looks out the window at the unfamiliar city as his driver weaves through traffic. To be honest, all European traffic James has experienced so far is scary, and he's glad that no one trusts him with a vehicle here because he'd probably freak out.

Finally they reach the hotel and James gets out of the car, two security guards waiting for him by the hotel entrance. No one is recognizing him, but he's glad that the guards are with him all the way to his hotel room. Most fans are sane, but he'll never forget the girls who rode up and down the elevators in one of his hotels just to meet him or one of the other guys. He's definitely glad there are no screaming girls here to add to his headache.

When he reaches his room, he thanks security and enters the key into the slot, practically running into his room once the door is open. He kicks off his shoes and all but falls onto the mattress of his bed, not even bothering to take off his tie or jeans as he buries himself under the covers. He was having hot and cold flashes all throughout the signing, and now happened to be one of his cold flashes.

Unfortunately, with all these continuous symptoms added together, James has no doubt that he might be coming down with something. He hasn't been getting much sleep lately, and with the international flight he took two days ago, his sleeping schedule has been off balance. He's hoping that he's wrong about having an actual cold, and that any illness he might have can be slept off in a nice, long nap.

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and opens his twitter application, profusely apologizing to the fans yet again and doing a small tweet spree to reconcile for his absence at the signing. Soon, though, his eyelids are drooping and he sets his phone on the nightstand before falling asleep.

What feels like minutes later, James opens his eyes to the sound of the door opening. His glasses, which he had forgotten to take off prior to his nap, are askew on his face as he reads the time on the digital clock next to his bed. It tells him its quarter past four, so obviously he's been asleep way longer than a few minutes. But his head is still pounding and his body still aches and his nose is even more stuffy than before. The only difference is that now he's absolutely _burning_ compared to the chill he was feeling earlier.

He looks up just as Kendall, Carlos, and Logan walk into the room, and for a brief moment James wonders how they got in before he remembers that they all have keys to each others' rooms. "Hey," he says sleepily, and his voice sounds nasally and maybe he really is sick.

The boys look over him for a second, scrutinizing his appearance. "Well, he's worse," Logan announces, sitting at the end of the bed.

Carlos nods in agreement, but Kendall doesn't say anything. Instead, he strides past both of them and pushes James' bangs away from his face again, this time bending down and pressing his lips to the brunette's forehead. James is too tired and his head is throbbing too much for him to really comprehend what's going on, and when he does, Kendall has already pulled back.

"He feels warmer," Kendall informs the other two. "Carlos, do you have that thermometer?"

Carlos nods again and reaches into a backpack that James didn't notice he had, digging around for a bit before finding what he was looking for. He hands the small white instrument to Kendall, and the blonde murmurs a soft, "Hold still," before he's sticking it in James' ear and holding the button down. A couple of seconds pass before the thermometer beeps, and then Kendall is pulling it out of James' ear and reading the small, digital screen.

"James," he says, his eyebrows furrowing. "101.4, that's not good."

James frowns at the results. "But I don't like being sick," he whines.

"I have Motrin," Carlos says, "But I'm not sure how long it will last, or how much it will help."

James goes to sit up only to have Kendall push him back down. He goes to protest, but Kendall gives him a stern look and silences any opposition he has to Kendall babying him. James sighs and says, "Well, if there's any chance that the Motrin will get rid of the pounding in my head, hand it over."

Carlos digs through his bag again and pulls out the small pill bottle, handing it to Kendall. The blonde unscrews the cap and pops two pills into his hand, handing them to James. "Hey Logan, could you go get James some water?" he asks, and Logan nods and disappears into the bathroom for a moment. James makes a face as he hears the tap come on, and Kendall and Carlos both shoot him apologetic looks. They all know James hates drinking tap water, one of his many weird, picky habits.

Logan returns with the water and gives it to Kendall, who _then_ allows James to sit up, handing him the pills and the glass. James swallows both of them with ease, and Kendall doesn't even have to force him to lie back down because he's eager to have his head hit the pillow again. Kendall gives him a smile tight with concern and James turns over, burying his face into the pillow.

The other three stay in his room until eightish, watching television they don't understand due to the language barrier and providing James with tissues when he needs them. Apparently Carlos has a couple of packs of tissues in his backpack, and James is beginning to wonder if Carlos raided a drug store before coming to see him.

At eight fifteen, James lets out a big yawn. Even though he slept most of the day away, he's still behind on his sleep and the added characteristic of being sick doesn't help much either. Kendall, Carlos, and Logan turn their heads at the sound of the yawn, and Carlos and Logan stand from the bed, searching the room for their shoes.

"We should probably let you get some rest, huh?" Carlos says, smiling at James and walking over to fondly muss his hair. James is too cold to care, the blankets wrapped tight around him like a cocoon, but he smiles and says goodbye to Carlos. Logan comes over and gives James his farewell also, flicking James in the ear and earning a halfhearted angry shout from the brunette.

"I'm going to go get my things," Kendall says, making sure he has both the key to James' room and his own room before walking towards the door. "I'm not leaving you alone tonight."

Carlos and Logan wait until Kendall gets back before bidding their final goodbyes and leaving, letting the room fall into silence with the exception of the low, foreign murmurs coming from the television.

"You don't have to stay with me, you know," James says, shivering despite the thick comforter surrounding his body. "I can take care of myself."

Kendall laughs softly, dropping his duffel bag next to the bed. "I know," he responds. "But you're my best friend, so I'm going to make sure you get better as soon as possible, okay? Now get up. I don't care how tired or cold you are, you're not sleeping in jeans and a tie."

James groans and sits up as Kendall crosses the room to James' suitcase, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt for James to wear to bed. He pushes the covers off his friend's shoulders and helps him up, loosening the brunette's tie while James deals with the buttons on his shirt. Once James is shirtless he shivers, and Kendall hands him his night shirt. He waits for James to pull the shirt on over his head before handing him the sweatpants and turning so James could take off his jeans without him looking. Kendall listens to the rustle of fabric and waits until he hears James mutter a soft, "Done," before turning around and collecting James' dirty clothes, putting them back in the other boy's suitcase.

When Kendall turns back around, James is already buried under the blanket again, tufts of brown hair just visible on the pillow. Kendall lets out another soft laugh, and James turns at the noise. "Try to get some rest, okay?" He says, walking over to his duffel and pulling out his own pajamas. "We have an early flight back to the states tomorrow, and you probably need extra rest."

"Okay," James says, yawning again. "Thanks for staying with me, by the way. It's really nice of you."

"You've got a friend in me," Kendall sings as he pulls on his new shirt. "But seriously, it's not a problem. The power of bromance, you know?"

"Mhmmm," James responds, taking off his glasses and leaving them on the nightstand. "Night, Kendall."

Kendall turns off the light and crawls into bed beside James, making an exception for a cover-hogging James because he's sick. "Goodnight, James."

* * *

The next morning Kendall is awake before the sun rises, and he's never been a morning person but their flight back to the states is ridiculously early and they all need to be up and good to go. He has no worries about Carlos and Logan getting up on time, seeing how Logan always wakes up early for a morning jog and Carlos is good with a few cups of coffee. Usually James is the same as Logan, but as Kendall gets out of bed, James is still a dead weight.

He decides to let James sleep a little more, knowing James would rather choose sleep and wearing sweatpants on the plane than getting up and showering and getting properly dressed. Meanwhile, Kendall himself takes a speedy shower, and gets changed into a pair of sweatpants he stole from James' suitcase and one of his favorite tank tops. There's twenty five minutes before they have to leave for the airport, and they still need to double check and make sure they have everything from the room before leaving.

Kendall sits down next to James on the edge of the bed and nudges the boys shoulder, shaking him a few times. "James," he says quietly, getting close to his friend's face. "James, wake up."

The brunette groans and swats Kendall's hand away, turning over so that his back was facing Kendall. The blonde sighs and grabs the thermometer off the nightstand, leaning over James a bit so he can stick the device in his friend's ear. He holds down the button again and waits for the beep, and when it sounds he pulls back and looks at the number.

"James, come on," Kendall says, his tone a little more urgent. "We have to leave in twenty minutes and your fever has gone up. If you want some Motrin before we go on the plane, you have to get up now."

It's silent for a moment before James groans into his pillow, pushing himself up and rubbing at his eyes. "What time is it?"

"5:30," Kendall responds. "Our flight leaves at seven thirty so we really have to get going soon."

"Okay, okay," James says, and his voice sounds so clogged up and stuffy that Kendall reaches over and grabs a tissue from the pack Carlos left with them and hands it to James, who nods in thank you before blowing his noise rather loudly. "What's my temperature anyway?"

"101.7," Kendall responds, reaching over to grab two Motrin and the cup of water he had prepared earlier while he was getting ready. "Here, take these. I figured you'd rather sleep than shower, so you can just wear what you're wearing onto the plane and shower when you get home. Do you want me to grab you a sweatshirt before I pack up your suitcase?"

James blinks, taking a moment to process all the information that Kendall just gave him. Finally, after a few seconds, he says. "Uh, yeah. Get me the blue striped one if you can find it." Kendall nods and gets up, leaving James to swallow the pills. By the time he returns with James' sweatshirt, James is looking into the mirror that hangs across from the bed and trying to fix his hair. He hands James the sweatshirt and the brunette quickly slips it on, zipping it up the second he can.

"Hey, can I borrow one of your beanies?" he asks. "My hair is sort of a lost cause, so."

Kendall nods and walks over to his duffel, digging around a bit before he finds his favorite gray beanie. Once he has it, he turns back around and puts it on James, tugging it down so it fit the way it was supposed to. "Thanks," James says, and his voice is all hoarse and tired and Kendall feels bad that his friend is so sick.

He lets James lay back down as he goes around the room, double checking everywhere to make sure they have everything in their suitcases. Once he's sure that they're all packed and ready to go, he brings their bags over to the door so they can grab them on their way out. Then he walks back over to the bed and plops himself down near James' feet, biting his lip as he looked over the other boy. James doesn't look any better than he did yesterday; if anything, he looks worse.

"You feeling okay, buddy?" he asks, and his tone reminds him a lot of his mom's when he's sick. But he really likes James and they're best friends, and if Kendall thinks about it, he's actually never seen James sick with more than a small cold, so this is all new to him and he can't help but be worried.

James shakes his head. "No," he says, "But when we get home we have a few days free and I'll be able to get rid of whatever this is by sleeping it off."

The blonde frowns, his eyebrows furrowing together. "If you're sure," he responds hesitantly. "But if it gets bad, I'm taking you to the doctor's."

James groans, sitting up. "It's not going to get that bad," he whines. "Stop worrying so much, okay? I'll be fine."

"I will worry however much I want," Kendall defends, "I'm just trying to make sure you're okay. I wouldn't want you dying or anything. It'd be hard to find a new fourth member and explain it to all of the younger fans…though I suppose Dustin _could_ take your spot…"

James lets out a soft laugh and scoots closer, resting his head on Kendall's shoulder. "Oh, please," he scoffs. "If I died, you would have way worse problems than finding a new member to take my place."

"Hmm," Kendall hums, letting his head rest on top of James'. "Like what?"

"Your devastating heartbreak over losing your best friend," James replies, stating it like it were obvious. "Your life would suck without me, like that one Kelly Clarkson song."

"Kelly Clarkson is hot, man," Kendall comments, ignoring the actual point of the conversation. "My life would suck without _her_."

James smacks his knee, pouting. "Not the point!" Kendall snickers and smacks his knee back, and they both chuckle before they fall into silence.

It's silent between them for a few more minutes, and James' breathing is getting heavier and Kendall can tell the taller boy is getting close to sleep even though they have to leave in a few short minutes. But instead of waking him up, Kendall turns his head just slightly, planting a small kiss on James' forehead. "By the way," he whispers, "I would be devastatingly heartbroken if you died, just so you know."

James doesn't say anything, but the blonde can feel him smiling wide against his shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

Yay capitulo dos! This chapter is boring lol. I changed almost nothing. BUT next chapter will be FULL OF CHANGES along with an aDDITIONAL SCENE so keep an eye out for that! And then of course Chapter 4 which no one has read lol. Anyway onward.

* * *

By the time they reach the airport, James' condition has gone from bad to worse. He's having problems with his body temperature, tearing his jacket off and claiming he's hot one minute and putting it back on while shivering the next. The Motrin he took earlier is helping get rid of his headache, but sitting at the gate waiting for their plane to arrive leaves him surrounded by tissues as a result from his stuffy nose. He's miserable and all he wants to do is sleep, but he's saving that for the flight.

Kendall keeps shooting worried glances James' way because yeah, he's definitely really worried even though James told him not to get this way. He's never seen anyone this sick, let alone James of all people, and it's actually kind of alarming. It's not like he can check James' temperature now, since he stupidly packed the thermometer in the suitcase, but he's sure that even with the Motrin, James' temperature has gone up.

Soon, their flight arrives and it only takes a few minutes for boarding to begin. Since the guys are all flying first class, they begin to gather their things and get ready to board the plane. When James stands from his seat, he staggers a little and Kendall shoots him a wary look that he immediately dismisses. Still, Kendall is worried that James might be dizzy and keeps a hand on his elbow to steady him as they walk to the front of the boarding line.

The first class section of the plane is smaller, but there's about 10 rows of comfortable looking white seats in pairs that look promising. James is glad that they're flying back first class and not coach because the flight is long and he doesn't need his body to ache any more than it already is.

James travels about halfway back and takes a seat in the first row that's available, dropping down onto the cushion. Compared to normal airplane seats, it's much more comfortable and James is happy, even more so when Kendall sticks his bag in the apartment overhead and sits down next to him.

The brunette is also happy that being in first class causes the other passengers not being able to pass him. All of the coach passengers get sent a certain way based on their plane ticket, living them no opportunity to do more than glance at the passengers in first class. This leaves less room for any fans who might be on the flight to recognize them, which is good because James is sick and doesn't really feel like putting on a smile for anyone. He's considering himself lucky that they didn't run into any German fans wishing them a farewell at the airport.

Minutes pass by and once everyone is boarded onto the plane, James relaxes in his seat and watches the flight attendants giving out knowledge about how to buckle seatbelts and what to do in case of an emergency. The instructions given in both English and German don't even register as he just stares at the back of the seat in front of him, waiting for the instructions to end and the plane to take off so that he can have his nap.

It's another five minutes until all of the instructions are given and the plane is semi-quiet, the only sounds coming from the murmurs of the other first class passengers around him. James sniffles and pulls at his sleeves so that they cover his hands, clenching his fists to keep the fabric there. He's beginning to go through another one of his cold flashes and the air conditioning blasting from the panel above him isn't helping at all. Almost immediately, Kendall realizes James is cold and turns off the air conditioning before stopping a passing flight attendant and asking her to bring a blanket.

"Thanks," James mumbles, stifling a yawn.

Kendall nods, wrapping an arm around James' shoulders and pulling him close. "C'mere," he says softly, rubbing his hand up and down James' arm to generate some warmth. James goes to rest his head on Kendall's shoulder, but then the blonde tells him to look up, and so James does.

Kendall pushes back the beanie a little bit and moves' James' bangs out of the way, and then he starts leaning down to press his lips to James' forehead again, but decides against it halfway there because they're in public. Instead, he rests the back of his hand on James' forehead, and the brunette can't help but feel a little disappointed.

"You're getting warmer still," he comments, looking away from James for only a moment to accept the blanket from the flight attendant and thank her. "You sure you don't want to go to the doctor when we get back? It couldn't hurt…" He has James sit up for a moment so that he can wrap the blanket around his friend's shoulders. Then the brunette is laying his head back down on Kendall's shoulder so that the blonde can use both of his arms.

James stifles another yawn before saying, "No, I want to go home. I think you're worrying too much."

"I think you're under-worrying," Kendall retaliates, and James lets out a soft laugh. "But seriously, are you sure you don't want to get it checked out?"

"Kendall, I'm fine," James reassures him for what feels like the millionth time. "It's probably just the flu or something; it's going to pass in a few days. And luckily, we have the next week off, so we don't have to worry about work or anything. It'll be gone soon, okay? There's no need to make a big deal out of it. It's not like I have cancer or anything." Kendall's face immediately pales at the word and James quickly reassures him. "Kendall! I don't have cancer, okay? Calm down! It's just the flu, if that!"

The blonde lets out a sigh. "I know," he says. "I'm still allowed to worry about you, though. I thought we went over this in the hotel room this morning, but if _anything_ bad happened to you, I would be really upset."

James can feel his face heat up and, not for the first time, he's glad that he has rosacea as an excuse for his blush. "Well, the feeling is mutual," he mumbles, looking down at his lap. "But I'm going to be fine."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Kendall says. "But if you get worse, I will tie you up and drag you to the hospital, got it?"

James hums in agreement, his eyes feeling heavy and tired all over again. It isn't long before he falls asleep on Kendall's shoulder and has dreams of feeling a certain blonde's lips against his forehead and nursing him back to health.

Too soon he's being shaken awake again, and it can't possibly be the end of the flight—it feels like he slept for five minutes. But no, it's not, they're now in the air and a flight attendant is standing two rows in front of them with a cart. "Hey, wake up," Kendall softly murmurs, waiting until James looks up at him before he continues. "Food's on the way, you must be hungry."

But instead, James shakes his head, burying his head back into Kendall's shoulder. "Not hungry," he mumbles, grabbing onto the fabric of Kendall's shirt and snuggling closer. "Sleepy. Let James sleep."

"James, you're not going to get any better if you don't eat something," Kendall stresses, but James shakes his head again and mumbles something that Kendall can't understand, though he's sure it's another protest. Not seeing the point in arguing, he gives in, letting out a sigh. "Fine, but when we get off the plane you need to eat something, okay?"

"Yay, James wins," the brunette cheers sleepily. Kendall lets out a soft chuckle and moves James' bangs out of his eyes, taking a brief temperature check and turning back to the flight attendant, who is now standing right by him and asking if he wants eggs or French toast sticks. He goes with the French toast and she hands him a small tray before moving on, and even though James is restricting his right arm from moving, Kendall learns to eat with his left because he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Several hours pass before James wakes again. His headache is back with a vengeance and is causing him more pain than it was before. He lets out a whine against Kendall's shoulder, clenching his eyes shut and biting his lip hard. Kendall immediately responds, once again pushing the beanie and James' hair out of the way so he can feel James' forehead.

"James, you're getting really warm," Kendall says, and James can hear the panic creeping into the blonde's voice.

James ignores him. "How much longer is the flight?" he asks through his teeth, wishing the pain would just stop already.

Kendall looks at his watch and then back at James, biting the inside of his cheek. "Roughly three hours," he responds. "What hurts?"

"My head," James answers immediately, wincing at how everything seems to be so loud in the last thirty seconds. "Like, the worst it's been."

"Sit up for a sec," Kendall orders James, and once the brunette complies, Kendall turns around and looks back at Carlos and Logan through the small space between the seats. "Carlos, do you have the Motrin on you?"

Carlos looks up and nods, nudging for Logan to lift his head off of his shoulder before bending down and reaching for his carry on item at his feet. He digs through the bag for a few seconds, pulling out the Motrin bottle once he finds it and he puts it in Kendall's out stretched hand. "What's wrong with him?" he whispers, and Logan leans forward to hear Kendall's response as well.

The blonde sighs, glancing at James for a moment. "Headache," he whispers almost inaudibly, "Worse than before. I'm getting worried." Carlos and Logan exchange a worried glance while Kendall turns around, emptying one of the pills onto his hand. He caps the bottle and gives it back to Carlos before turning to James, grabbing his water bottle from the pouch on the back of the chair in front of him and handing it to James.

"Here buddy," he says, giving the pill to James. The brunette immediately places it on his tongue and takes a swig of water to wash it down before shivering and letting his head rest on Kendall's shoulder again. This time he gets even closer to Kendall than he was before, practically snuggling up to him and grabbing the front of his tank top in an iron grip.

James doesn't say anything else, but for the next twenty minutes Kendall can hear him wincing before he finally falls asleep, still clutching Kendall's shirt. He turns back to look between the seats again, though his movement is limited because of James. "He's asleep again," Kendall informs them, and they look up and pause the movie they're watching.

"So what," Logan starts, "his headache is worse? Do you think we should take him to the doctor or something when we get off the plane?"

Kendall bites his lip. "I mean," he begins, whispering so he doesn't wake James, "I want to, but he doesn't want to go, and you know how stubborn he is…he promised that if it got worse he would go, but by the time we get off the plane the Motrin will still be in effect and he's going to play it off that he's fine. And like hell he'll call us if he's feeling sucky after we drop him off at his house."

"We should probably spend the night at his place, then," Carlos suggests, "or maybe a few. Until we're sure he's better, you know? That way we can watch over him ourselves and decide if he has to go to the hospital. I don't think it's that serious, but it wouldn't hurt, right?"

"I think it's a good idea," Kendall chimes in immediately, holding back a smile at the thought of a sleepover at James' house.

Logan smirks. "Of course you do," he says. "Maybe you should grow a pair."

Kendall blushes, knowing that Logan is referring to his not so secret newfound appreciation of everything James is. But he doesn't miss a beat when saying, "I will when you do!" And now it's Logan's turn to blush, because he and Carlos have been flirting for a month and neither of them had made a move.

Logan sits back in his seat, cheeks still red and glaring at Kendall through the back of his seat. He'll gather up the courage to tell Carlos how he feels…eventually.

* * *

"James, hey," Kendall says softly, gently shaking James' shoulder. "We're landing in a minute, time to wake up."

James' eyebrows furrow and he groans, snuggling in closer to Kendall. "No thanks," he mumbles, burying his head in the space between Kendall's neck and shoulder. "I don't want to."

Kendall sighs. "James, come on," he pleads, "We don't even have to go to baggage claim or anything, that's already being taken care of. All we need to do is get off the plane and get in the car, and then it's a short car ride to your house and you can sleep in a real bed. Wouldn't that be more comfortable?"

"You're comfortable," James protests. "I want to sleep on you."

"That's not an option right now," Kendall says, and he's blushing because even though he can't see Logan, he knows the older boy is listening to their conversation and smirking at everything that's happening. "You can sleep on me in the car if you really want to. For now, though, you really have to wake up, okay?"

James sighs and opens his eyes, but he makes no move to pull away from Kendall. "I'm awake," he says, blinking sleepily. "I'll get up when we have to. You never said I couldn't keep lying down."

Kendall sighs too because he knows James is right. But he can feel the plane steadily dropping lower and it hasn't even been two minutes when the plane hits the ground and they're jolted in their seats. James grips the front of Kendall's shirt tighter as they speed down the runway, waiting for the plane to slow down. When it does Kendall looks down at James, and his eyes are open and staring at Kendall's arm. The blonde reaches over with his other arm and checks his temperature for the millionth time, and he's relieved to note that James doesn't feel as warm as he did hours before. But his skin is still hot to the touch, and Kendall really just hopes James is right and all he has is the flu.

Eventually the plane comes to a halt, and the airport crew gets the plane ready for everyone to get off while the flight attendants give their final farewells over the intercom. Kendall looks down at their feet and makes sure their carry on items are all set to go (they should be seeing as they didn't even touch them the entire trip), and then waits for the flight attendants to finish talking before a ding sounds throughout the plane and the sound of several seatbelts unbuckling fills the plane. James sits up then, and Kendall's shoulder immediately feels cold in the spot where James' head had been.

They both stand, and Kendall has to help steady James before he steps back and grabs his duffel and James' small suitcase from the overhead bin. They have a few other suitcases that are going to baggage claim, but one of the people driving them home is getting all of their items. All they have to do is avoid any fans and make it to the car without any trouble and they'll be on their way home.

Getting off the plane is easy enough, since they're first class and therefore have priority access to getting off the plane. Once the four of them are together, they walk past several gates and follow the signs that direct them to customs. Although they're semi-famous, they have to wait just like everybody else, but now this is riskier territory. There's a bigger portion of the public here and the boys can see several potential fans in the line. They're all wearing headgear that will partially mask their identities, but they're not allowed to wear sunglasses yet for ID purposes and that could pose to be a problem.

Luckily, it only takes them twenty minutes to get through the line and then they're off again, slipping on their sunglasses to help hide their identities more as they follow the signs to baggage claim. They don't actually have to get their bags themselves, but the signs also direct them to the exit, where the van that's taking them home is waiting.

Their luck runs out once they get past security and into the part of the airport that the general public can access. Although they're all wearing hats and sunglasses, fans still know which airports they land at and it's not hard to tell them apart from other travelers even with their disguises. They've only walked a few steps when several screams meet their ears.

Immediately, James recoils, and he's forcing a smile even though he's pressing his hand to his temple. Obviously his headache is back, and the screaming is nonstop and Kendall is sure that it's making the pain in James' head worse. If he's being honest, all of the screaming is giving him a small headache, too, and a quick glance over at Carlos and Logan gives him the notion that the screaming isn't only affecting him and James.

"Hey, guys," Kendall says, speaking loudly to be heard above the noise, and James winces beside him. Kendall feels bad but continues, slinging an arm over James' shoulder. "James isn't feeling very well today, so we really need to get out of here so he can go home and get some rest. We're so sorry we can't hang out with you guys, but thanks so much for coming here to see us!"

The fans start screaming things like, "Feel better, James!" and "James, get well!", and although they mean well, the noise is making James' headache worse. But he smiles and waves at them, and the four push their way out of the cluster of fans surrounding them and practically run to the exit of the airport, where their van is waiting on the curb.

"You okay?" Kendall asks James as he helps him get into the car. He makes sure James is in okay before climbing in after, sliding into the seat next to James.

But James isn't okay. Even though the Motrin he took a few hours ago should still be in effect, his headache has returned with more power than ever before. Kendall's words, spoken softly, sound like he screamed them, and James winces and presses his fingers to his temples.

"No," he grits out through his teeth. "My head is pounding."

"Maybe you should—"

"I don't need to go to the hospital," James interrupts before Kendall can finish his sentence. "I'll be fine. I just need to—"

Kendall is the one to interrupt this time, saying, "Sleep it off, I know." He sighs. "You keep saying that and you're not getting any better."

"I just started getting sick yesterday," James whispers. "I'm not going to get better right away. Just give it some time. Please?"

"Alright," Kendall says, sighing again. "I just want you to get better."

James shifts closer to Kendall, letting his head rest on the blonde's shoulder again while his hand comes up to clench his friend's shirt. "I know," he says tiredly, yawning. "Me too."

Before they even have the car loaded James has fallen back asleep, and Kendall is glad. Not only because obviously James is getting the rest he needs, but also because the brunette is so close to him. It could be just because James is the type to get clingy when he's sick, but it could also mean that James also has a small crush on Kendall.

But he doesn't dare get his hopes up and gets rid of all thoughts of he and James existing romantically as Carlos and Logan climb into the car. Logan smirks at he and James' position but when Kendall's eyes travel to Carlos and back to Logan again, the older boy blushes and glares at Kendall before looking away. The driver does one last check to make sure everything and everyone is in the van before they begin the short drive to James' house.

James' house is always the first stop on their way home, and the driver looks pretty happy when they tell him they'll all be getting off with him. Of course, this is unbeknownst to James, but they're sure he'll let them stay even if they weren't invited. James is a gregarious person and probably would have wound up calling them later in the day if they hadn't invited themselves over already.

It only takes around twenty minutes to get from the airport to James' house, and very soon they're pulling into the driveway. The driver hops out of the car the second it's stationary to begin unloading the suitcases, and Carlos and Logan get out of the car to help him while Kendall tries to wake up James.

"Jay, we're here," he says, shaking the older boy's shoulder. This time, James wakes up immediately without protest, and looks up at Kendall sleepily. Because Kendall was already looking down, their faces are _so close_, and all Kendall has to do is move forward an inch or two and his lips will be on James'. But he doesn't know if James likes him that way, and he sure as hell doesn't want to risk all of the progress they've made as a group, so he turns away and says, "Come on, let's go."

James follows Kendall out of the car, but once he's on the pavement of his driveway he sees their driver and Logan and Carlos unloading _all_ of the bags, and he gets confused. "But this is my house?" he says, and he actually looks up at the house behind him to make sure he's right. "Why are you guys getting out?"

"We're not leaving you until you get better," Kendall answers, placing a hand on James' shoulder. "So get used to us!"

The brunette is torn between being annoyed at the prospect of his friends babying him until he gets better or being grateful that he has good enough friends who would do that. He goes with the latter because being pissy and ungrateful doesn't suit him, plus he really does love his friends even if they tend to get a little protective mother on him sometimes.

He only grabs his suitcase and wheels it to the front door, fishing out his keys from the pocket of his sweatpants and unlocking the door. He leaves it open because the other guys will be coming in a minute, and he leaves his suitcase in the foyer and immediately starts up the stairs. All he wants to do is crawl under his covers and sleep the week away, or at least until he feels better. He's pretty confident that it's just the flu, but Kendall has planted that seed of worry in his mind and he can't help but be a little scared. He's never felt this sick in his life before and he hopes Kendall is making a big deal out of his illness for nothing.

James slips off his shoes at the foot of the bed and nearly collapses onto the mattress, crawling up to where his pillows are and getting under the warmth of the blankets. He slips off his glasses but keeps Kendall's beanie on, partly due to the fact it's keeping him warm and the other due to how it's Kendall's and it smells like him and James decides he's not going to take it off until he absolutely has to.

He's only been laying down for a few minutes when the quiet commotion from the guys happening downstairs migrates its way upstairs. Kendall, Carlos, and Logan all walk into his room and he smiles and waves in their general direction, seeing how everything is blurry from both his tiredness and his lack of glasses or contacts.

"Hey, is it alright if Carlos and I take your car?" Logan asks, keeping his voice soft. "We're going to drive over to my house and grab some things, and then Kendall's to get his stuff, and then Carlos' and Carlos is going to drive his car back over here."

James props himself up on one elbow, rubbing at one of his eyes. "Yeah, that's fine," James says. "My keys should be in the little bowl thing on the counter."

"Kay, thanks James," Carlos says, waving. "We should be back in an hour or so." Logan waves too and then they both leave the room, leaving Kendall standing by the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

"So," he says. "You haven't eaten yet today…you should probably do that."

James sighs. He's not really hungry right now, and the nauseous feeling that's normally associated with all things sick is just starting to hit him, so the thought of food is actually a little repulsing right now. "Can I take a nap first or something?" James asks quietly. "I know I've been sleeping all day but I really am tired...but I promise that when I wake up, I'll eat some soup or something."

"Alright," Kendall agrees, and he seems to think for a moment before striding over to James and pushing back his bangs and beanie yet again. James lets himself fall back into the pillows and then Kendall's lips are pressing to his forehead again, and James closes his eyes, savoring the moment. Kendall seems to take his sweet time checking James' temperature, because he makes no move to pull back for the longest time. When he finally does, James opens his eyes and refuses to let the disappointment he's feeling inside reveal itself to Kendall.

Kendall smiles softly, his face still close to James'. "You feel cooler than you did before," he says. "Sleep a little bit and I'll be back and wake you up when Carlos and Logan get back, alright?"

"Okay," James says, turning onto his side. "See you then."

"Sweet dreams," Kendall whispers, and it takes all of his willpower not to lean down and give James a goodnight kiss and instead leave the room slowly, turning the light off and shutting the door softly on his way out.


	3. Chapter 3

Gah, I'm sorry it took me a while to update. I have SATs and AP tests coming up, plus a thesis paper, and my life has basically been consumed by all things school. But here it is! Some of this is identical to the original C3 of SBM, but a good chunk of it is added on. Originally I had planned to just stick to Kendall and James' story line, and mention Carlos and Logan, but I've decided that they deserve their own sub plot as well. I'm also going to include an author's note at the end of this chapter, which I don't like doing, but it's important and people usually read the notes at the end instead of the beginning.

Okay, you can read now aoijd

* * *

Carlos and Logan are back much later than they're supposed to be. They stop at Logan's house and then drive all the way to Kendall's before realizing they forgot to get the house keys from the boy in question, so they gather all of Logan's things (which takes them a good forty five minutes in itself, doing God knows what) before driving back to James' house and getting Kendall's car keys. They spend an equal amount of time at Kendall's house, and then the same amount at Carlos', and Carlos' house is the furthest from James', so the ride back is a good thirty minutes. But then Carlos and Logan think it's fine and dandy to stop for food, so they call Kendall when they're in the drive thru line for Wendy's and at this point the blonde is unamused. But he gives them his order anyway and then waits for them to drive back, and their whole adventure has taken longer than two hours and it's starting to get late.

Kendall is relieved when he finally hears the slam of car doors from outside, and he looks out James' windows to see Carlos and Logan reaching into the backseat of Carlos' car, grabbing the fast food and their drinks. Kendall unlocks the door and opens it just as they approach the door, and they walk in giggling about a joke Kendall didn't hear. He rolls his eyes at them and then walks down James' driveway and finds his bag off stuff in James' car, and he slings the bag over his shoulder before he passes Carlos and Logan on his way back into the house.

The two come back into the house carrying their own bags a minute later, and they walk in the door to see Kendall standing in the hallway with his arms cross.

"'_We should be back in an hour_,'" Kendall mocks, imitating Carlos' voice from before.

Carlos sighs. "Kendall, come on," he says. "Don't be like that."

"Well excuse me for being a little upset that you were over an hour late," he says. "I was supposed to wake James up to eat when you got home. He hasn't eaten all day and he wants soup! And I definitely ordered shit from Wendy's and you don't have it!"

Carlos opens his mouth to reply but Logan beats him, saying, "Kendall, can I talk to you for a second?" and he doesn't even wait for Kendall to respond before grabbing the blonde's arm and pulling him into James' downstairs bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him.

"Logan, what—"

"You were alone with James for over two hours and you didn't _do_ anything?" Logan demands in a harsh whisper, and it takes Kendall a second before he realizes what Logan's talking about and then he blushes.

"Sorry, but I'm kind of more concerned about his _health_ right now, thanks," Kendall whispers back. "It's not like I'm going to wake him up and be like, 'Hey James, so I was thinking, I really like you, want to make out now?' And who are you to talk? Have you made a move on Carlos yet?"

Logan bites his lip. "No," he says softly, not a whisper but close to it. "But I think I'm going to. Like, soon."

"_Suuuuure_," Kendall says. "You said that last week, and the week before that, and the week before that, and have you yet? Nope. Grow a pair, man."

Logan punches him in the arm. "You grow a pair!"

"I'm not going to grow a pair when James is _sick_," Kendall says, rolling his eyes again. "Besides, I'm a little too busy worrying about him right now."

"Well go ahead and worry then," Logan says. "But I'm telling you, man. It's pretty obvious that he likes you."

Kendall shakes his head. "How so?" he demands. "People are always clingy when they're sick. He's just trying to get comfortable."

"_Or_," Logan presses. "He's trying to get with you."

"I don't know, Logan…" Kendall trails off, staying silent for a moment. "I just don't want to ruin anything."

Logan places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You never know if you don't try," he says softly. "And you and I both know that James isn't the homophobic type. If you admit your feelings and he doesn't return them, he's going to let you down gently. He's not going to start acting differently around you. But I mean..even Carlos sees something there, Kendall. Just try."

"Maybe I will when you do," Kendall says. "You've been flirting with Carlos longer than I've been flirting with James and I don't see you two together!"

A scowl forms on Logan's face at Kendall's completely true statement. He and Carlos _have_ been flirting for months, but Logan isn't exactly sure how to make a move on him, and Carlos sure as hell hasn't done anything to progress their relationship. Logan has wanted to just come right out and tell Carlos he likes him, but he's never really had the courage.

But now Kendall won't make a move on James unless he makes one on Carlos, and sure, Logan's fine with hindering his own happiness, but Kendall's? As a friend, that wouldn't be very nice of him. Plus, he's pretty sure Carlos likes him back, and honestly, what's stopping him?

"You know what?" Logan says. "I'm going to go make a move on him. Right now." He leaves the room then, all proud smiles and confidence, and Kendall sighs before slipping out of the bathroom and making his way up the stairs.

He does hope that Logan actually makes a move on Carlos, because he wants his two friends to be happy. But also because maybe Logan's newfound confidence will cause Kendall to find his own, and he and James can become something more than what they are now. He's not sure, but he thinks James likes him back, and he's going to take a risk and try something once James is feeling better.

* * *

Although Logan told Kendall he was going to make a move on Carlos right this second, he doesn't. Instead, he hides in James' guest bedroom for a good twenty minutes, giving himself a pep talk. He wants to make a move today—no, he's going to make a move today—but he can't figure out how to tell Carlos. He doesn't know if he should be blunt and just tell Carlos right off the bat, or if he should ease his way into it.

Right now he feels like he's in a typical romantic comedy, rehearsing his lines in front of a mirror and trying to find exactly what's right. Part of him knows that no matter how many times he rehearses it, it won't come out the way he wants to when he's actually in front of Carlos. It would sound way too scripted. And even if he did remember verbatim what he wanted to say, Carlos has the tendency to jumble up all his thoughts and make him seem like an idiot.

He's a bundle of nerves when he exits the guest bedroom, but he figures it's now or never. He walks into James' living room, where he finds Carlos hanging upside down on the couch and watching television. For a 21 year old grown man, Carlos still has extremely child-like tendencies, much like his character on their show. Logan smiles and shakes his head, sitting down next to his hopefully-soon-to-be-more-than friend.

"You know that's not good for your head," he says.

Carlos shrugs, not moving from his position. "It's fun, though," he retaliates. "Makes old re-runs more interesting to watch! I mean, I've seen this episode of Entourage like five times. But I've never seen it upside down!"

Logan shakes his head, chuckling. "You're an idiot," he comments fondly. "But sit up please? I have to talk to you about something important."

The Latino sits up immediately, and even grabs the remote and puts the television on mute. "What's up?" he asks. "Wait! Let me guess—it's about Kendall and James, right?"

"I—what?"

Carlos laughs at the completely bewildered look on Logan's face. "Kendall and James," he repeats. "You want to devise a plan to get them together, right? That's what you were talking to Kendall in the bathroom about, wasn't it? Making a move on James?"

It takes a few moments for Logan to process all of the questions Carlos just asked him. "Well," Logan begins. "That is something that needs to be done. It is _part_ of what I talked to Kendall about in the bathroom, but…you're okay with that kind of stuff? You know, the whole gay thing?"

The older boy rolls his eyes, as if Logan just asked the most ridiculous question on the face of the earth.

"Of course I am, Logan. I'm not some homophobe."

This relieves Logan, giving him more confidence. "Never said you were," he comments now. "But we can talk about Kendall and James later. They're not what I wanted to talk about."

Carlos nods. "I see," he says. "Then what?"

And now the moment is there, the moment Logan has had before but has never had the guts to act on. "I just," he starts, and his confidence falters for a moment. _No, not this time, Logan. Just spit it out_. "I know you just said that you're not a homophobe, but what would you say if I told you I liked a guy?"

It comes out in a rush, and Carlos blinks at his bluntness. "Is this the other thing you talked to Kendall about?" he asks, and Logan nods, urging Carlos to continue. He does. "Then I guess I would say good for you, man. Love is love, you know?"

Logan's heart is suddenly beating fast, knowing he's about to tell Carlos everything. "Well would it matter if you know who the guy was?"

Carlos shrugs again. "Yeah, I guess," he says, looking away for a moment. Then his gaze is locked with Logan's again. "I guess it'd depend on the guy, you know? If you liked someone five years older than you I might be a little iffy but you can date whoever you want. I mean, as long as they make you happy."

"You make me happy," Logan blurts out, and Carlos blushes and looks down. But Logan doesn't stop.

"Carlos…what would you do if I kissed you right now?"

That gets Carlos' attention. He looks up, eyes wide. He just stares at Logan for a moment, trying to decide if he's serious. After a few seconds, which seems like several minutes in Logan's mind, Carlos seems to decide that Logan isn't joking. "I would kiss back," he says slowly and a little hesitantly, like maybe it isn't the answer that Logan wants to hear.

But it is. It's exactly what Logan wants to hear, what he _has_ wanted to hear for a long time now. He doesn't even realize that he's been inching towards Carlos until their noses brush, the other boy's breath sweet and hot on his lips. It's Carlos who closes the distance between them, immediately bringing his hand up to the back of Logan's neck the minute their lips connect and threading his fingers in the short hair there.

Logan deepens the kiss, slowly pushing Carlos back until he's resting against the couch and Logan is nearly straddling his lap. He brings his hand up to Carlos' cheek, leaving it there and rubbing the soft skin with his thumb.

Carlos pulls back a little, much to Logan's protest, but their mouths are brushing as Carlos speaks. "What is this?"

"Kissing," Logan mumbles against his lips, but Carlos pulls back again, this time so that their mouths are completely disconnected.

He gives Logan a stern look. "You know that's not what I mean," he says quietly. "Is this just kissing or does it mean something?"

Logan knows what Carlos is asking him, and he only hopes that his answer is what Carlos wants to hear. "I was hoping," he starts, "that it could mean something. Something exclusive. As in, I only kiss you and you only kiss me and if one of us kisses someone who isn't the other we'd get mad."

Carlos nods slowly. "So, basically, you're asking me to be your boyfriend?"

The younger boy nods, gulping. "Yes," he says. "That is what I'm asking."

It's quiet for a moment, which makes Logan extremely nervous. Carlos seems to be thinking hard before he reaches up, pulling Logan down by the neck and kissing him again. When they pull away, Carlos smiles and says, "Then my answer is yes."

Relief washes over Logan and he smiles too. He's about to say something else, but Carlos doesn't think it's too necessary because then they're kissing again. And as it deepens, Logan forgets what he was going to say and decides it wasn't necessary either.

* * *

Kendall slowly pushes the door open to James' bedroom, careful not to wake the sleeping boy. He leaves the door open so that the light of the hallway can illuminate the dark room and walks over to James' bed, sitting down next to the lump in the covers that is James. He places a hand on James' shoulder, shaking the older boy softly.

"Jay," he says, getting closer to James' ear. "Jay, Carlos and Logan are back. I'm gonna make you some soup, okay?"

James groans and rolls over, looking up at Kendall with half-lidded eyes. "Mmkay," he mumbles, turning back into the pillow. "Chicken noodle please."

Kendall lets out a small laugh and nods. "Sure thing, buddy," he says, and he rubs small circles with his thumb on James' shoulder for a few seconds before getting back up and leaving the room. All he wants to do is curl up with James and hold him, but James can't put off eating any longer. Kendall walks through the hallway and then back down the stairs, not even paying attention until he reaches the kitchen. From James' kitchen there's a perfect view of the living room that's adjacent to it. And when Kendall looks into the living room, there's a perfect view of James' couch. And on James' couch, there's a perfect view of Logan straddling Carlos while they kiss.

He stops dead in his tracks, raising an eyebrow. "Should I leave or," he begins, and immediately Carlos shoves Logan off of him and the brunette is tumbling to the ground. Both boys look up at Kendall then, blushing madly. The blonde smirks at Logan, who blushes even harder and lets his head fall back to the floor. "Alright then, I guess I'll stay," Kendall continues, turning around to start going through the cabinets. "I'm going to make James soup. If you were a James, where would you keep your soup?"

Carlos sits up, face still red. "You're really not going to say anything?" he asks, shooting an apologetic glance at Logan.

Kendall turns around, raising an eyebrow. "Why would I?" he asks. "I'm not a homophobe. Besides, the only reason why Lo_gayn _kissed you is because I told him to grow a pair and make a move. He's wanted to for a while now, so…consider me your matchmaker!"

Logan leans up and whispers something to Carlos, but it's not really a whisper and Kendall can hear his name and James' and suddenly get suspicious, even more so when Carlos lets out a giggle. "If you're saying what I think you're saying—"

"If you think I'm talking to my boyfriend about how you should make a move on James, then yes, I am," Logan says, smirking. Kendall glares at him before turning around again, searching James' cabinets on his endeavor for soup. "You know, now you can't tease me about it anymore. It's time for you to make a move!"

Kendall sighs. "For the last time," he calls out, making sure not to let his voice raise to a level that James can hear. "I'm not doing _anything_ while he's sick! And besides, I don't even know if he likes me _that_ way."

"Were you not there when he was clinging to you the entire plane ride _and_ car ride?" Carlos asks, scoffing at the blonde and standing up from the couch. He helps Logan up off the ground and they walk into the kitchen together, taking adjacent stools at James' breakfast island.

"A lot of people get clingy when they're sick," Kendall retaliates, not looking up as he shuts one cabinet and opens another. "Plus, it's not like he's ever done it before today, so…"

Logan crosses his arms. "Well, explain the blush then," he says. "James always gets all red whenever you're around. You can't deny that."

Kendall slams the cabinet shut and turns around to face Logan and Carlos. "Yeah, and he also has _rosacea_," he points out. "He's already _naturally _red. It has nothing to do with me."

"You never know if you don't take a risk," Carlos says, and Kendall bites his lip.

"No risks now," he decides. "James' health is more important than what I'm feeling. And right now, James hasn't eaten all day, and he wants soup and he doesn't have any, so I'm going to go out and buy him some, alright?"

The blonde grabs James' car keys and turns to leave, but a comment from Logan stops him. "Damn, not even dating and he already has you whipped, huh?"

He turns around slowly, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "I'm not whipped," he mumbles, "and yeah, James and I aren't dating, but sorry I want my _friend_ to get better. My feelings about James have nothing to do with this. And you know what? Who says James and I will ever date? Why would James even like me like that? If I made a move, it probably wouldn't turn into making out on the couch. It would probably ruin our friendship and I'd rather keep everything bottled inside for the rest of my life and watch him be with other girls or guys or whatever than ruin the friendship that we have." Carlos and Logan are giving him sympathetic looks, and he turns around and heads to the door. "I'll be back in fifteen," he calls out quietly, and before either of his friends can get a word in he shuts the door behind him.

Kendall practically runs to James' car and it only a minute passes before he's pulling out of the driveway and onto the street. He knows a Wal-Mart that's right near James' house where he can pick up soup and tissues. He's not really concerned about the whole fan thing, since he's wearing a hat and sunglasses, and really what's on his mind at the moment is James.

He wants his friend to get better, and that's what he's been focusing on since James got sick in the first place, but that's not the only thing on his mind. He's thinking about the conversation he just had with Logan and Carlos. There's no denying that Kendall wants to be more than friends with James, but he honestly isn't sure if James feels the same way. All of the factors Carlos and Logan pointed out could just be them trying to make him feel better.

But the thing is, he's so terrified that James _doesn't_ like him that way. Kendall would hate himself for the rest of eternity if he did something that cost him his friendship with James. But he would also hate himself if he didn't make a move and James picked someone else and Kendall had to watch James marry some random girl and think, _that could be me_ the entire time. He doesn't want that, either.

And besides, James is…James, and Kendall is just some wannabe-hipster who happens to have a good voice. James is beautiful and talented and has so much potential, and he's good-hearted and genuine and everything Kendall aspires to be but isn't. And the blonde doesn't understand why anyone like James would want to be with anyone like him.

These thoughts are what plague him throughout his entire errand, and by the time he's paying for the soup and tissues he still doesn't have his mind made up about what he's going to do. Maybe he can talk to Carlos or Logan about it when he gets back to James' place, but his main priority is getting James' soup to him. He practically speeds the rest of the way back, turning a ten minute drive into a five minute one. He gets out of the car and approaches James' door quickly, unlocking it and slipping inside. He hopes Carlos and Logan don't confront him about their last conversation right away, or worse, he hopes that he doesn't catch the other two making out on the couch again. Seeing them kissing and being happy just makes him want James even more, and that's something that's currently out of the question.

But when he enters the house, there's no sign of Carlos or Logan anywhere. They're probably upstairs checking on James, or taking a nap in the guest bedroom or something else that Kendall doesn't care about at the moment. Instead, he welcomes the time alone and gets started on James' soup, pouring it in a pot and putting it on the burner. He stands there for a few minutes, stirring the soup occasionally, and there's still no sign of Carlos or Logan when he pours the soup into the bowl. He goes to grab the tissues, but then he hears footsteps descending down the stairs and stops for a moment, craning his neck to see who it is.

To his surprise, it's James, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and dragging behind him. "Hey," Kendall calls out softly, knowing not to raise his voice too much because it will give James a headache. "Get your Jew butt back upstairs. I just went out to Wal-Mart and got you soup so you could get better, and I'll be damned if you ruin those chances by not resting like you should be."

James stops halfway down the stairs, watching as Kendall walks out with his soup in one hand and the new tissues in another. "I could have eaten something else," he says, turning around and heading back up as Kendall trails behind him. "I mean, I appreciate you going out and getting it, but…you didn't have to."

"Yes I did," Kendall responds, following James into his bedroom. "I want my best friend to get better and I make fantastic soup with the ability to heal all. You need it, okay? Bed, now."

There are no protests to that. James plops down onto the mattress, sitting up and resting against the headboard while Kendall hands him his soup. "Thanks," James says, taking the hot bowl in his hands.

Kendall nods. "It's nothing," he mumbles. "I want you to feel better, that's all."

James nods, starting to eat his soup and Kendall turns to leave. "Wait," James calls out, and Kendall stops dead in his tracks and turns around right away. "Stay? Please? I'm so lonely and bored and I hate being sick."

The blonde smiles, walking back over to the bed and sitting down at the end of it and saying, "Anything for you."

They sit in almost silence while James finishes his soup, the brunette not realizing how hungry he was until he actually had food in front of him. And Kendall's definitely right, his soup _does_ take good and maybe Kendall would be willing to be James' personal soup chef for the rest of eternity. James wouldn't mind having Kendall and his soup around every day.

But even though the soup is delicious, it still doesn't get rid of James' sickness. By the time he finishes, it seems to have the opposite effect on him and suddenly he's shivering again. Kendall immediately rushes to his side, pulling out a thermometer from God knows where and sticking it in James' ear, holding down the button. It beeps a moment later and Kendall pulls it back, his eyes wide.

"James," he breathes out, worry evident in his voice. "104.3. Are you sure you don't want to go to the doctor?"

The look in Kendall's eyes almost makes James want to go, just to make his friend stop worrying, but he shakes his head. "No," he says. "I'm fine. I'll be fine. I've been there before. Just give it a little more time, okay?"

Kendall looks like he's about to protest, so James says, "Meanwhile, I'm really cold. I—well, could you lay down with me? You know…to help me get warmer and everything…I think I heard somewhere that body heat is the fastest way to generate warmth, so…" And now he's blushing like mad, but Kendall only smiles, kicking off his shoes and scooting up next to James, getting under the covers. James does as well and then tentatively gets closer to Kendall.

It takes the blonde wrapping his arms around James and pulling him close for the brunette to finally allow himself to snuggle into him, resting his head on Kendall's chest. Kendall is comfortable and warm and…sturdy? James isn't sure of the exact word to describe it, but he feels safe in Kendall's arms, and he wouldn't mind getting used to this feeling every day.

Suddenly his heart just swells in appreciation and love for the blonde boy who's been taking care of him. Of course Carlos and Logan care, but it's Kendall who stayed with him that first night, Kendall who stuck with him on the plane, Kendall who made a special trip to get him soup, and it's Kendall who's trying to make him feel better now.

Without warning, James cranes his head and plants a small kiss to Kendall's neck, turning away before he can see the other boys' blush spread. It's silent between them for a moment before Kendall asks, "What was that for?"

"For being you," James responds. "I really appreciate you doing all this stuff for me because I'm sick. It's nice to know I can count on someone, you know? I love you, man." And he almost didn't add the 'man' part, he almost wants to take it back and just tell Kendall he likes him more than he should, but instead he keeps his mouth shut like always and waits for Kendall's answer. James can't see it, but Kendall is smiling wide, and he hopes the brunette doesn't notice how his heart beat has sped up the tiniest bit. "Love you too, buddy," he responds, and yeah, he does love James. Maybe one day he'll get the courage to tell him, but until then, Kendall is content just being James' friend.

It's silent for a few minutes, but James breaks it. "Can I ask you something?"

Kendall glances down at him for a moment, noticing that James is tracing a pattern on his shirt and not looking at him. "Sure," he says finally.

When James answers, it's a little hesitant. "How do you know if you like someone?"

The conversation Kendall had downstairs suddenly is at the forefront of Kendall's mind, and he has to push back his excitement so that his heart doesn't start beating fast enough for James to notice a change. "Well," he begins, even trying to keep the excitement out of his voice. "Whenever you see them, you get really happy and you just love spending time with them in general. You want them to be happy because of you and you kind of want their world to revolve around you the way that yours revolves around them."

James is quiet for another few seconds. "It sounds like you know the feeling," he comments.

Kendall swallows. "I do."

The brunette tilts his head, looking up at Kendall. "Who do you like, then?"

_You. I like you. Spit it out Kendall, just tell him you like him. Listen to Carlos and Logan's advice, he's showing all the signs that he's into you, his face is right there and if you just move your head a little you could totally kiss him, tell him—_

"Some guy," Kendall blurts out. "I don't know if you know him."

James looks back down then, resting his head on Kendall's chest again. "Oh," he says finally. "Well, it sounds like you really like them. You should do something about it."

"I don't know," Kendall says, trailing off. "I'm not even sure if he's into guys like that, you know?"

"Well, you never know if you don't try, right?"

And that's basically what Logan's been telling him this whole time, what Carlos just told him an hour ago. Logan tried, and Logan ended up getting a boyfriend out of it. But Kendall's almost positive that as of right now, his feelings for James are stronger than Logan's feelings for Carlos. Kendall's nearly certain that he loves the boy laying on his chest, and if things didn't turn out well…the blonde can't even think about what his life would be like without James.

He sighs. "You're right," he says. "It's just…I think I love him, and I don't want to lose him. Plus, even if he does like me, it's not like Nickelodeon is going to be okay with us going public or anything. It's going to cause a huge controversy and hiding will be just as hard. I don't think that the time is right."

James is quick to answer. "If now isn't the right time, then when is?" he asks. He can tell Kendall is having a hard time thinking of a response, so he continues. "Look, I know that I just found out that you're gay and I don't give a shit, you're still the same person. And I know everyone isn't going to be like that, and it's especially a risk telling him your feelings if you don't even know if he's gay, but Kendall…if you think you love him, you have to do something. If he really values your friendship, he's not going to look at you differently if he finds out you're gay."

"I know he won't," Kendall says quietly. "That's not the problem. The problem is, I don't know if the feelings are going to be mutual. What if I tell him and he's not gay, what do I do then?"

"Move on," James responds, shrugging. He looks up at Kendall again. "If it's not meant to be, then it's not meant to be. But wouldn't you rather _know_? Because right now you're just like, 'Oh, what if he's not gay?' and 'Oh, what if he doesn't like me?' You won't know until you talk to him about it. If he likes you back, then you get what you want. But if he doesn't, then you get to move on and find someone else who does feel the way about you that you do about them."

Kendall sighs again. "You're right," he says, and he hates to admit it, but James is. He kinds of underestimates just how smart James is sometimes. But then what brought them to this conversation in the first place comes back to his mind. "Why did you ask me about this, anyway?"

Now James is looking down again, back to tracing patterns on Kendall's chest. "Just wanted to confirm what I'm feeling," he says. "I was really confused, but you helped a lot."

"Oh," Kendall says. "Well. Good!" It's quiet for another few seconds, until Kendall's curiosity gets the best of him. "Who do you like? If you don't mind me asking.."

"You don't know them," James says, but that doesn't discourage Kendall much because he said the same thing to make it less obvious. "But they're gorgeous and smart and funny and pretty headstrong, but I love it."

Kendall still has hope. "Is it a boy or a girl? You kept saying 'they' and 'them'…"

James coughs before answering. "A girl," he responds, and now Kendall's heart breaks. "It doesn't matter, anyway. I'm absolutely sure that she likes someone else. I'll move on. It's whatever."

Kendall nods, and they don't say anything else. Within a few minutes James is asleep. Just as he drifts off, Logan passes by the open doorway to James' room, seeing the blonde and the brunette snuggled up under the covers. Kendall doesn't miss the wink Logan throws his way, or the fact that Logan is mouthing, "Tell him."

Kendall looks down at James' sleeping form, glasses still on his face and looking peaceful. There's no denying that Kendall's feelings for James are strong. But James doesn't feel the same way, and there's nothing he can do about it.

* * *

When James wakes up, the light that was streaming through the window is gone, and his stomach is churning. His head is still on Kendall's chest, who has one arm draped over him and the other over his head. James would be perfectly content lying there for a few more minutes or hours or days or maybe the rest of his life, but obviously that's not an option.

He lays there for a few minutes, wondering why he woke up so abruptly at such a random time. Granted, he doesn't know exactly what time it is, but he knows he fell asleep sometime around six, and seeing as Carlos and Logan aren't up and about it has to be the early hours of the morning, which is why he's confused. Since he got sick, the only time he woke up at weird times was when his head was pounding or he was freezing. His head didn't hurt at all, and he wasn't cold because Kendall was not only comfortable, but incredibly warm.

But suddenly it hits him. It starts mildly, just a small ache in his stomach that causes him a bit of discomfort. He shifts, still clinging to Kendall, in hopes that it will go away, but it doesn't. Instead, it gets worse, his insides churning, and James starts to feel this weird taste in his mouth, one that he hasn't felt in years, but still unmistakable. The last thing he wants to do is leave Kendall's arms, so warm and strong, but his stomach lurches and he know he can't avoid what's bound to happen.

He quickly detangles himself from Kendall's grip and then runs to the bathroom adjacent to his bedroom, stumbling several times in the dark. If Kendall didn't wake from his sudden movement, then he's surely awake now because of the large bang the door makes as James opens it. He barely has time to flip on the light before he's dropping to his knees and thrusting up the toilet lid, emptying the contents of his stomach into the bowl.

He gets in a few deep breaths before he's retching again, and suddenly there's a presence next to him rubbing his back. James doesn't have to look up to know that it's Kendall, and he hopes the blonde isn't totally repulsed by him as he retches again.

This goes on for several minutes, James puking and clutching the sides of the toilet while Kendall sits by him patiently, his hand running up and down James' back over and over. Finally, James reaches up with a trembling hand and flushes the toilet, body shaking as he leans back against Kendall.

"You okay?" Kendall murmurs, wrapping his arms around James and pulling him close.

James swallows thickly and lets his eyes fall shut. "I feel horrible," he croaks, and his voice is rough and scratchy from throwing up. "And—"

His sentence is cut off by bile rising in his throat again, and Kendall lets go of him as he leans over the toilet seat again and continues his retching. He's surprised he even has anything left to throw up, but obviously, he apparently does.

Once he's finished, he reaches up and flushes the toilet again, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "So gross," he mumbles, leaning back against Kendall.

"Do you want to go back to bed?" Kendall asks softly, running his hand up and down James' arm.

James nods weakly, and the blonde helps him up, practically carrying all of James' weight as the boy leans on him as they walk back to bed. Kendall lets James get in first, watching him lay down and bringing the covers over him. As Kendall tucks him in, James becomes confused.

"You're not gonna lay down with me?" He asks, and he wants to kick himself in the face for sounding so pathetic.

Kendall shakes his head, and James' heart drops. "I'm going to go downstairs and eat something, since I haven't yet. But I promise that when I'm done, I'll come back upstairs and lay down with you, okay?"

That's good enough for him. He feels bad that he's been demanding so much of Kendall's attention that the blonde hasn't had the chance to eat, and he knows he'd feel worse if he argued with Kendall. He nods, and Kendall smiles, pressing his lips to James' head briefly before exiting the room and shutting the door softly behind him.

James knows that Kendall has feelings for someone who isn't him, but he's pretty sure Kendall just kissed his head. Smiling, he buries himself under the covers, falling asleep.

* * *

I'd just like to say that how quickly the feelings/relationships in this story progress might seem a little fast moving to you, but these feelings for each other that the boys have been harboring have been going on for months. Kendall has liked James for the longest out of any of them, which is why it actually makes sense that his feelings are more loving than just a crush. James has liked Kendall for a while too and Logan and Carlos have both felt things towards each other for around 6 months. The story starts where it does because it's going to span over a year, and I don't want to write a 100 chapter fic. Things are going to move quickly in relationships, and while it may seem unnatural, there ARE relationships that move very fast, so please keep that in mind.


End file.
